The past few days have been absolute chaos in the National Hockey League, and now that all the dust is settled from the past month, things around the league couldn’t look more different.
Some moves we expected, and some came out of absolutely nowhere, but things aren’t done yet, with the season still being three months meaning away there are plenty more moves that could potentially be made. There’s been some big shocks since the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals, with Brady Tkachuk, Simon Nemec, Jordan Kyrou, Alex Tuch and others all being moved, but the biggest stunner came on day one of free agency.
Edmonton Oilers Shock the World With Darnell Nurse Trade
One player that was expected to be traded was Darnell Nurse, with many believing that the Edmonton Oilers would have to retain on the veteran and his $9.25 million AAV to make a deal happen. That didn’t end up being necessary at all, as the San Jose Sharks happily took the blue liner on, taking on the entire deal in a move that has the hockey world completely scratching their head.
That move for the Oilers only came after Nurse opened up his no-trade list from Boston, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, and when that happened, a deal came together quickly with the Pacific Division rival Sharks. In the trade, the Oilers landed two intriguing prospects, and while neither are expected to be significant contributors in the NHL, it was a home run move for the Oilers.
Oilers Rejected by Former Alberta Rival
GettyNikita Zadorov of the Boston Bruins.
That wasn’t the only move the Oilers were seemingly pondering however, as the team tried to make it work with the Boston Bruins as they looked to unload Nurse’s massive contract following a disappointing 2025/26 season for the team and the player. Clearly, nothing came together, and after first being reported by David Pagnotta, it has been revealed that Nikita Zadorov turned down a deal that would have sent him to Edmonton in exchange for Nurse.
Given his rivalry with the Oilers following stints in both Calgary and Vancouver, this makes complete sense from Zadorov’s perspective, and given that he wants to stay in Boston after achieving some success there, he likely doesn’t want to be moved on again. At this point, it is believed Zadorov simply didn’t want to play in Canada, rather than being a personal grudge with the Oilers themselves, and as he negotiated power over his future in his contract, it makes sense for him to flex that and turn down a deal for a destination that he didn’t want to end up in.
Ultimately, the Oilers are likely in a better spot to contend for a Stanley Cup than the Bruins, but with other motivations going into his decision, it makes sense on Zadorov’s part if he wanted to turn down this deal, and after Nurse’s entire salary was taken on by the San Jose Sharks, the Oilers came out of this quite well in the end.
Massive Trade Turned Down After Bruins Veteran Rejected the Oilers